>> Monday, March 21, 2011

This weekend -- as most weekends do -- went entirely too fast. We spent Friday night finishing all the cleaning we needed to get done before some people viewed the house Saturday morning. (No news on offers yet, but we're hopeful the nicer weather might bring a few more people through this week.) Sigh. Saturday was a blur. Sunday we had brunch with my brother and his girlfriend and then collapsed. That's the short of it.

Movies watched . . .

The Fighter (loved it)

The Switch (meh -- it was OK)

Meals eaten . . .

Omelet with peppers/onions/cheddar (my new favorite meal of all time, apparently)

I needed a pair of good walking around shoes. I tend to wear flats, which aren't great for work-break walks around campus. These are the new Merrell Pace Gloves. They retail for $100, but we both had coupons and got 'em for around $85. They remind me of Vibrams . . . and they are made with running in mind. Especially on trails.

We'll see. So far, I'm really just loving them for everyday wear. The active-anything-the-mood-strikes wonderfulness. I love how they look, plus they are in the minimalist fashion -- so more natural foot movement

BLACK BEAN-TEMPEH BURGERS

What you'll need . . .

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 green pepper

1/2 white onion

1 package tempeh

1 cup oats

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Sesame oil

Method . . .

In a food processor, pulse the green pepper and onion until well chopped. How coarsely or finely chopped is up to you. We made ours pretty fine.

Add in the black beans and tempeh. Pulse until well incorporated.

Then put mixture in a medium bowl. Pour in the oats, paprika and flour (you may need more flour, depending). Mix well until everything is well distributed.

Store half the mix away for tomorrow's dinner. Then divide the other half into four equal portions. Shape into patties using your palms (and some flour to prevent sticking).

Heat a pan on medium-high heat with a bit of sesame oil (olive or veggie oil works, too, I just like the flavor). Place patties on pan. Cook on each side until golden brown.

Optional: Top with cheddar cheese while nearly done on the stove. Then cover for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

So, like I said above. I'm obsessed with the onion/green pepper/cheddar omelet. How about you? What meal are you turning to time and time again? Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.